Missing dog survived 100ft cliff fall in Devon before rescue

• Watch Rufus getting reunited with his owner

A dog which fell 100 feet off a Devon cliff and was missing for two days has been reunited with its owner.

Rufus, a fox red Labrador, had plunged off a cliff at Bolt Tall above Hope Cove beach near Kingsbridge after disappearing on a walk on August 6.

The 18-month-old’s owner, Rowan Boddington, feels relieved to be able to hug his dog again and recognises he is lucky to have his beloved pet back.

He said: "But as we got over the brow of the hill on the path he was nowhere to be seen. There were lots of other dog walkers but they hadn’t spotted him either.

"I think he must have been racing in the long grass and heather and then suddenly there was nothing underneath him and he got caught out and went over the edge.

"He must have tumbled and rolled a fair way down as the buckle on his harness is chipped and he’s got a few superficial cuts on his face.

"As soon as I got the call from the coastguard on Sunday morning to say Rufus had been found, I jumped in the car and headed straight back down to pick him up.

"He sat in the back seat on the way home looking at me with a big smile on his face. Other than a few cuts and scratches he’s his usual bouncy self and seems completely unaffected by what happened.

"I’m just over the moon to have him back and I’m indebted to everyone who searched for him and helped in the rescue operation."

Rufus has disappeared during a walk along the coast path and could not be found after hours of frantic searching.

A member of public spotted him on a ledge on the cliff face the next day and rescue teams from Prawle Point and Brigbury rushed over to him.

RSPCA animal rescue officer, Megan Higgins, attended and said: "I was amazed at the condition Rufus was in, given how far he had fallen and how long he had been there for.

"He had been out in the pouring rain and at first the rescue team were not even sure if he was alive.

"When he saw them coming down the cliff his tail started to wag furiously and he looked at them as if to say ‘have you come for me?’"